THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, April 17, 1996 TAG: 9604170375
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ALETA PAYNE, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Medium: 97 lines
Chances are good the school district could break even this fiscal year, possibly without additional money from the city.
Superintendent Timothy R. Jenney said improvements in the system's financial situation greatly diminish the possibility that the harshest contingency plans being developed to prevent a second deficit will be needed.
``Based on our most recent projections, the likelihood of needing drastic contingency plans are much, much less than even a week ago,'' Jenney said after the public session of Tuesday's board meeting.
Earlier in the afternoon, board members had received their third - and by far most optimistic - financial analysis of this year. Indeed, some of the numbers had improved since the analysis was put together earlier this month with the arrival in recent days of $3.1 million in federal aid.
``Based on all of the numbers we're projecting, it's going to be very, very close to a break-even budget,'' Jenney told the board.
While school officials still are projecting that federal and state revenue will be less than budgeted, savings in expenditures will offset the bulk of that shortage.
In the most likely case, according to school officials, the district would fall about $755,000 short of the 1995-96 budget if no additional money were forthcoming from any source and projections hold true.
As recently as February, that figure had exceeded $4 million if additional money did not become available.
And in the fall, a combination of underbudgeting expenses and overestimating revenue had the school division facing a projected shortfall of almost $7 million, which led to strict spending measures.
Belt-tightening districtwide appears to have paid off.
``The plan has worked very, very effectively,'' said Donald A. Peccia, associate superintendent for administrative services. ``Where we were in October and where we are as we sit here April 16 are in two different worlds.''
The possibility remains that the district will bring in special Department of Defense money, projected in excess of $1 million, but Peccia said he was unwilling to rely on it until it is in hand. And word from City Council several weeks ago was that it might fund up to $2.3 million when the district faced a worst-case scenario of a $4.4 million shortfall.
Also on Tuesday:
New board member Roger L. ``Buddy'' Riggs, appointed by City Council to serve until the end of June, raised concerns about the board's decision to pay legal fees for Tim Jackson and Ferdinand V. Tolentino. Riggs also questioned the legality of Jackson and Tolentino voting on that measure.
Last month, the board voted to pay fees up to $25,000 each for Jackson and Tolentino for legal matters related to a special grand jury report that sought their resignations. Fees in excess of that amount would have to come back to the board for approval.
Jackson and Tolentino have been indicted on misdemeanor malfeasance charges after refusing to resign from the board in the wake of the grand jury's report.
The board will discuss the issue at the next meeting, scheduled for Monday, May 6, to avoid a conflict with Election Day.
The board took no action on a resolution on Goals 2000, a federal academic standards program. The resolution requested that the state superintendent of public instruction apply for the federal money contained within Goals 2000, which raised the possibility that the division would participate in the program should the state join in.
Several members of the public spoke to the issue, most against it. And board members, four of whom were serving at their first meeting, said they felt unprepared to decide the issue.
The board can reconsider the matter at a later date.
In addition, the board recognized Leanne K. Self as the division's teacher of the year. Self was chosen from among more than 80 colleagues and will represent the district in the state competition.
She is a 12th-grade English teacher at Ocean Lakes High School who is described by one colleague as ``persistent with contagious enthusiasm.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by STEVE EARLEY/The Virginian-Pilot
Leanne K. Self, shown in her 12th-grade English class at Ocean Lakes
High School, is Virginia Beach's teacher of the year. She was chosen
from among more than 80 colleagues and will represent the district
in the state competition. One colleague described her as
``persistent with contagious enthusiasm.''
KEYWORDS: VIRGINIA BEACH SCHOOLS BUDGET by CNB